Snap Decisions

 Two weeks ago I made the decision to leave my current job and take an offer for a new job. Yesterday was my last day at Snap Finance. The week after next I'll start my new job at Awardco.

It was far from an easy decision to make. I labored over it even before I got the job offer, but was anticipating it since they'd asked for references. I knew that my boss would try to keep me at Snap since that's the impression he's given the 5 years I've been there. He's a great boss and he's been very open about how much he appreciates my work. 

I have to say, I have learned a lot at Snap. When I started all I knew about machine learning was from the statistics class I took as an undergrad in college and the skills I had learned through the Internet. My first year at Snap I lacked any kind of confidence. I was very unsure of myself and I had very few skills to draw upon. Since then I've learned a lot about Python, SQL, Kubernetes, cloud computing, and a host of related skills. It's been a great opportunity for me. I am grateful for the time I spent at Snap.

In trying to make the decision, I wanted to consult with as many people as possible to get their perspective. I spoke with my brother, who's been in programming since high school and is 8 years my senior. I spoke with the friend who initially referred me to Snap back when he was still working there. I spoke with my therapist and my financial advisor. I talked Conrad's ear off about it. I weighed the pros and cons in my mind. I wrote a journal entry about it, to sort through all of my thoughts. 

Ultimately I decided that it was for the best for me to move on. The entire time I've been at Snap it hasn't sat well in my conscience that I'm making money from lending at high interest rates to poor people--people who are most likely living paycheck to paycheck. I think for me that was one of the strongest motivating factors in my decision to leave the finance sector. There were some things I didn't like about working at Snap but I have reason to believe that at least some of those will likely be factors in any workplace that I find, so I tried not to let them influence my decision too much. 

I do feel uncertain about the new job, and honestly the more time has passed since I gave my boss my two-week notice the more I've felt a pit in my stomach grow in intensity. I am much more confident in my skills now than I was when I started at Snap. At Awardco I'll be the first machine learning engineer in the company. I wouldn't have been able to face a challenge of that nature before my job at Snap since it was my first time being in machine learning. But now I feel confident in the skills I've gained and believe I'll do a decent job building the machine learning at Awardco as their pioneer MLE. 

I am nervous. I don't know what to expect. It may well be the case that I'll dislike my new position more than my old one. At the very least, I was assured many times from my boss and even from the HR rep who conducted my exit interview that I would be welcome back at Snap if I change my mind. It is nice to have a fall-back option. I admit that calms my nerves somewhat. I don't know exactly what to expect in this new position, but I've got a good idea and I feel hopeful that it will be another good opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally.

One thing that made me hesitate about the new position is that it is a long commute--nearly an hour in good traffic--and they do expect me to be in the office every day (with allowances for extenuating circumstances). It will be an adjustment for me to be in-office every day, since I've grown accustomed to being able to work from home most days. But I've done the 5-day in-office thing before and I'm sure I'll be able to do it again. It may even add more structure back into my life that I've lost since the Covid lockdown happened. 

I do appreciate all the advice people gave when I asked and I do still feel like I made the right decision for me. It was difficult, and I do keenly feel the uncertainty even now. My hope is that within a few months of my new job my mind will have settled a bit and I'll be comfortable with the decision. 

I think the advice that moved me the most was from my brother. His point was that if you're making enough money to save for retirement and to live the lifestyle you want than anything extra is just a bonus but not enough to fret over--that it is better to base the decision off where you'll be happier. That is I think the main reason I made the choice. It is my hope that in my new position I'll have better mental health than I had in my previous position. So here's to the next chapter of my life.